Veteran brand builder Warren Kornblum says the mattress industry faces a significant “trust gap” with consumers, one that can be addressed with “share of heart” strategies. Don’t lead with price, he says. Listen more than you speak and zero in on relevance.
Kornblum knows his way around the bedding marketplace. He was senior adviser to the CEO at Serta Simmons Bedding, and he has also worked with online retailer Casper, bedding manufacturer Sinomax and Canadian spring maker Pioneer Global.
He draws on his decades of business experience in his first book, “Notes From the Brand Stand,” with the subtitle: “Thoughts on Emotional Branding From Someone Who Has Fought for Consumer Attention and Won.”
The book, which will be released Jan. 13 by Shadow Group Publishing of Delray Beach, Florida, explores the idea of “share of heart,” the emotional measure that Kornblum says defines lasting brands. Savvy marketers today are building something more powerful than awareness — genuine consumer belief in their brands, he says.
In an exclusive interview with Bedding News Now, Kornblum said the mattress industry faces a number of challenges this year, including trust issues.
“The trust gap in the mattress category is being tested more than ever, largely because of forces outside any one company’s control,” he said. “Housing starts and mortgage rates directly affect mattress demand, and when those slow, pressure ripples through the entire category. Add tariffs, the influx of very low-priced imported foam mattresses, store closures and bankruptcies, and broader economic uncertainty, and both consumers and retailers become more cautious.
“There’s also a self-inflicted challenge,” he continued. “The industry has a long-standing habit of talking at consumers rather than listening to or speaking with them. When pressure rises, messaging often grows louder — more promotions, more claims — even as consumers seek clarity, reassurance and credibility. That disconnect magnifies mistrust.”
Kornblum has several thoughts on how the industry can narrow that “trust gap.”
“First, shift from volume to relevance,” he said. “Consumers already understand the importance of sleep alongside fitness and nutrition, yet the industry rarely explains clearly why what you sleep on matters just as much. Leading primarily with price erodes brand affinity and makes it harder for consumers to see meaningful differences between products.
“Second, listen more than you speak,” he continued. “Brands that engage with empathy and communicate with restraint tend to earn more trust than those that rely on constant promotion.
“Finally, consistency matters. When leadership behavior, retail experience, service and messaging consistently reinforce the same values over time, trust can be sustained — even during difficult economic and housing cycles.”
Kornblum has worked with brands of all sizes in his career, from global giants to family businesses. He worked at Toys ‘R’ Us, where he was the global chief marketing officer and a member of the executive committee for six years, and later advised Rooms To Go in the furniture arena, in addition to his work in the bedding category.
He says that “Notes From The Brand Stand” is not aimed at any one industry but instead offers insights that are valuable for any leaders working in markets where trust, product durability and long-term consumer relationships are vital. And he notes that those are key pillars in the bedding marketplace.
He’s gotten some strong prepublication reviews for his book, including one from Melanie Huet, whom he worked closely with at Serta Simmons Bedding. “Outstanding,” said Huet, now president for the home and commercial businesses at Newell Brands. “A masterclass in building trust with team members and consumers.”
Kornblum said the book stemmed from notes in which he jotted down ideas he didn’t want to forget, things that worked and things that didn’t.
“I never thought of them as anything more than notes to myself — things I wanted to remember or be inspired by,” he said. “Somewhere along the way, that long habit came together in a way I didn’t plan.”
And now those notes have taken flight in his first book.
